cameling in her reading nook - Part 5

Hi all, I'm Caro, living in Bedford, Massachusetts .... most of the time. In my fantasy life, I'm sailing the seven seas on a beautiful yacht with a cabin converted into a beautiful library, a full kitchen and a quilted hammock on deck. In real life, however, I work in a software company and travel internationally a fair bit. The wonderful thing about long distance flights is that I have hours of blissful all to myself to read without interruption.

I generally enjoy reading historical fiction, history, cookbooks, travelogues, mysteries, crime fiction, Scandicrime, narrative non-fiction, humor, drama, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, literature, nature, science, food and art. I don't usually read chick lit, straight romance, horror or paranormal/vampire novels. It's like music ... there's only so much time I have to read or listen to music, so I need to prioritize the genres I enjoy and just put the ones I'm not all that interested in aside for other people to enjoy ....and then they can tell me about it. :-)

What you'll find on my threads will hopefully be good discussions on the books I've read or would like to read, recommendations by lovely people like yourselves, food photos, travel photos, on occasion photos of people in my life or LT meetups, and fun chat sessions. So come one, come all .. pull up a beanbag, armchair or a futon, pour yourself a drink, grab a snack and get comfy! Everyone's welcome and all contributions (PG and non-offensive please) are welcome.

oh, and I like camels. :-)




Male Authors: 38
Female Authors: 51

Fiction : 68
Non-Fiction : 21

My 2015 Reading Challenge
Australian Author
Set in China
History
Indian Author
Set in Japan
Polish Author
In the realm of Science
Scandicrime
Serious about Series
Translated Works

January Reads
In the Pond - Ha Jin
House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
Me, Myself and Us - Brian Little
River of Smoke - Amitav Ghosh
The Rape of Nanking - Iris Chang
Where Serpents Sleep - C.S. Harris
Flying Too High - Kerry Greenwood
The Beekeeper's Lament - Hannah Nordhaus
What Remains of Heaven - C.S. Harris
A Spy Among Friends - Ben Macintyre
Night Flight - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Coventry - Helen Humphreys
The Secret Life of Lobsters - Trevor Corson
Where Shadows Dance - C.S. Harris

February Reads
Glittering Images - Camille Paglia
The Frozen Thames - Helen Humphreys
Cousin Bette - Honoré de Balzac
When Maidens Mourn - C.S. Harris
Another Day in the Frontal Lobe - Katrina Firlik
Doppelgänger - Chris Driskell
Memories of the Blue Door - Neil Davis
An Unlikely Hero - P.F. Ford
Dialogues of a Crime - John Manos
The Moonlight Palace - Liz Rosenberg
The Steampunk Bible - Jeff VanderMeer

March Reads
March Book One - John Lewis
March Book Two - John Lewis
The Lotus Eaters - Tatjana Soli
What Darkness Brings - C.S. Harris
Being Mortal - Dr. Atuk Gawande
The Sculptor - Scott McCloud
Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood
Tuesday's Child by Dale Mayer
Dead Man's Chest - Kerry Greenwood
The Anatomist's Wife - Anna Lee Huber
Nelson Mandela : A Life Inspired - Gillian Kendall
Why Kings Confess - C.S. Harris
Wine and War - Donald Kladstrup

April Reads
Unnatural Habits - Kerry Greenwood
Trail of Broken Wings - Sejal Badani
Bangkok Rules - Harlan Wolff
To Catch a Butterfly - T.M. Payne
Murder and Mendelssohn - Kerry Greenwood
Who Buries the Dead - C.S. Harris
Mortal Arts - Anna Lee Huber
Dream Logic - David Mack
Unterzakhn - Leela Corman
The Upside of Stress - Kelly McGonigal

May Reads
Murder in School - Bruce Beckham
Only the Truth - Pat Brown
The Atomic Sea - Jack Conner
A Family Affair - Mary Campisi
In the Time of Butterflies - Julia Alvarez
One More Thing - B.J. Novak
The Shadow of the Crescent Moon - Fatimah Bhutto

June Reads
Obsession in Death - J.D. Robb
The Giver - Lois Lowry
The Water Museum - Luis Alberto Urrea
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman - Haruki Murakami
Sara's Game - Ernie Lindsey
Tell - Frances Itani
The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis - José Saramago
The Secret World of Slugs and Snails - David Gordon
Academy Street - Mary Costello
The Napoleon of Crime - Ben Macintyre
Lean on Pete - Willy Vlautin
H is for Hawk - Helen MacDonald

July Reads
Conversion - Katherine Howe
In Real Life - Cory Doctorow
Black Skies - Arnaldur Indriðason
The Undertaking of Lily Chen - Danice Novgorodoff
Take What You Can Carry - Kevin Pyle
The Wind's Twelve Quarters - Ursula Le Guin
Over Easy - Mimi Pond
Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip Dirk

August Reads
East to the Dawn - Susan Butler
Confession of the Lioness - Mia Couto
Vendetta : Bobby Kennedy Versus Jimmy Hoffa - James Neff
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
Under the Frangipani - Mia Couto
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy - Karen Abbott
The Wright Brothers - David McCullough
Circling the Sun - Paula McLain
Armada - Ernest Cline
What the River Washed Away - Muriel Mharie MacLeod

Planned Reads for 2015
This list will be dynamic and I'll keep adding and subtracting from it. I'll start posting to my planned reading list on Jan 1. This will act as my Resolution List .... which has a bit of a death knell to it because I am hopeless at keeping my New Year resolutions.

1) Rape of Nanking
2) The Emperor of Lies
3) The Schirmer Inheritance
4) Blandings Castle
5) East to the Dawn
6) The Garden of Lost Days
7) The Lace Reader
8) Tipping the Velvet
9) The Innovators
10) Me, Myself and Us
11) River of Smoke
12) Musicophillia
13) The Ice People
14) A Hand Me Down World
15) Distant Hours
16) Palace Walk
17) Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy
18) The Stem Cell Hope
19) The Harmony Silk Factory
20) Anthropology
21) The Surrendered
22) Mothers and Other Liars
23) Lady Oracle
24) Becoming Madame Mao
25) Fugitive Pieces
26) Creatures of Habit
27) The Night Train
28) Empires of Food
29) The Rhino with Glue-on Shoes
30) The Bee Keeper's Lament
31) The Headmaster's Wager
32) The Origin of Teepees
33) Thunderstruck
34) Another Day in the Frontal Lobe
35) Wine & War
36) Ian Fleming's Commandos
37) A Spy Among Friends
38) Mrs Dalloway
39) Mr Dalloway

Thanks for everyone's well wishes and concerns in my last thread regarding my BIL. He's thankfully fine, no concussion. He had an MRI and they kept him for a day for observation. Gave him some muscle relaxants when he was discharged from the hospital. His car is wrecked (how fast was this old guy driving as he left the dealership?!!) and his insurance company is recommending that they pay him the Blue Book value for his car and that he get a new one because the cost of repairs is likely going to be astronomical.

I visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on Saturday for the Hosukai exhibition. I love his works and I thought I'd share a few of the ones I took pictures of while I was there. Some of the pictures are a bit large so that you can see the detail

Beautiful folding screen

From his 36 views of Mt Fuji series .. here are 3 of my favorites



The iconic Big Wave that he is most famous for

60. by Haruki Murakami
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

It was quite apropos that following the trip to the MFA, I started to read this book. I cannot praise Murakmi's talent for telling stories enough. In this series of 24 short stories, he shares with us quirky, insightful and at times painful stories of individuals. The way, I think, to read Murakami's stories are not to over-analyze them. The author reaches beyond the confines of a box and challenges us to accept the mysteries of a world where an elephant in a zoo can become smaller and smaller until it just vanishes, where cats talk and monkeys steal names, a world where being alone doesn't necessarily equate to being lonely, where an image of oneself in a mirror might not be oneself, where a a poor aunt might suddenly appear on one's back, and where Ice Men live among others.

All his stories leave you in a state of contemplation, sometimes sad and at times, puzzled.

5 stars

So, on the Food Channel today, they featured a chocolate bar at Cafe Fleuri (Saturdays only) that looked fantastic--have you ever partaken, Caro?

Gorgeous pictures above!!

Ooh, I see a strong Japan theme here. And a 5 star book! Hooray!

Oooh, lovely new thread you have here!

Wow, what a fantastic new thread, Caro. I love all the paintings and photos.

Love all the Hokusai and the pandas. I've wanted to visit that museum for a long time. Thanks for the photos.

Happy New Thread, Caro! Love all the artwork. Thanks for sharing.

I am glad you ended up loving Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. It fell short for me but that will go to show you...

>13 ronincats: Roni, yes, I have partaken of the Saturday chocolate bar at Cafe Fleuri and can attest that it is indeed decadent and good ...even if I felt rather ill that night from sugar overload. They also have a really fantastic Sunday jazz brunch during the summer that is well worth the $$.

>14 LovingLit: Megan, I was really pleased with this book. It's not my favorite Murakami read, nothing yet has managed to displace Kafka on the Shore for me, with IQ84 coming a very close second, but I still thought it was a 5 star read.

>15 scaifea: Thanks, Amber

>16 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara.

>17 catarina1: You're very welcome. If ever you find yourself planning to come to Boston, I'd be very happy to take you there. I wish the 1600+ panda exhibition would come to Boston. It's been on a world tour since 2009, from what I hear, but while I think I read that it's been to San Francisco, it hasn't come to Boston. :-(

>18 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Murakami has written so many books that I think it's almost impossible to like every single one equally. Some worked for me and some didn't. I remember you liked Wind Up Bird Chronicles which I couldn't wrap my head around. There are still books he's written which I haven't read yet. I must remedy that oversight. :-)

61. by Gary Blackwood
Curiosity

YA historical fiction about Rufus, a chess prodigy, who manages to escape from an orphanage after his father was arrested and placed in a debtor's prison, and finds himself a job with Maelzel, a French showman of curiosities, of which one was Turk, a mechanical chess player. He's kept in a workroom with brusque Jacques who maintains and repairs the Turk because his role was to be secretly playing chess and moving the automaton without the audience realizing the scam.

Edgar Allen Poe and P.T. Barnum make cameo appearances in this novel. In fact, Mr Poe is depicted as a rather suspicious and nasty journalist determined to discover the secret behind the seemingly magical Turk.

Entertaining and has a nice intrigue woven into the story as well.

3.5 stars

Just pulling up a chair in the art gallery. Um library. Um restaurant with Pandas...

>20 cameling: The 1600 Pandas are currently in South Korea after visiting Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and before that in Europe. I could not find where they are going next. The exhibit is funded by the World Wildlife Fund to publicize that there are estimated to be only 1600 pandas remaining in the wild.

>22 nittnut: LOL Jenn.... the only thing missing, I guess would be a nature reserve. *makes note to remedy this soon*

>23 catarina1: I couldn't find any additional information about the exhibit either online. I saw this first on a South Korean newsfeed and found the photos so charming I went on an online hunt for the artist. There's a link for the 1600 world tour, but it's a terrible website because it didn't give out a list of dates and cities. It just showed where they'd been. So I don't know if South Korea is the last stop for this tour, or if they will all go elsewhere after or where they'll be going. Frustrating to say the least! I'd love to see this exhibit in person.

I spent a totally delightful evening with Paul, Hani, Yasmyne and Saad last night in KL. Hani very mindfully remembered to have a photograph taken of the group after we'd stuffed ourselves to the gills last night. Yasmyne is absolutely beautiful and she and Saad make a really adorable couple.



Paul also very generously gifted me with the following books:
God's Spy by Juan Gómez-Jurado
The Boys from Brazil by Ira Levin
Breath by Tim Winton

Whooop whoop! Lovely, lovely gifts!
I'm not going to need to worry about not having anything to read on my way home next week should my Kindle fizzle out from overuse!

What a wonderful meet-up and dinner you had - and it came with books included!!

62. by Ernie Lindsey
Sara's Game

I picked this up because one of the book sites I subscribe to recommended it to anyone who enjoys J.D.Robb's In Death series. So when I saw the 4 book series offered for Kindle at a discounted price, I hastily snapped it up.

Sara Winthrop is a single mother of twin girls and a boy, her husband having been missing for 2 years. She works for a successful online gaming company as their marketing executive. When she receives calls from her son's principal and later her daughters' principal informing her that her children are missing from school, she frantically seeks help from the police but before she can do much more than provide the detectives with some basic information about her children and her missing husband, she receives a call with a cryptic message and instructions that she must follow to the letter if she is to try and rescue her children. Any attempts to deviate from the instructions or to ask questions would result in pain for her children. And of course, she's to fulfill the instructions alone and not involve the police.

What ensues is a race against time, riddles that need to be solved and a desperate mother wanting nothing more than her children back and to understand why they were kidnapped.

The detectives try to investigate the crime as well, but with no contact from Sara, they're made to delve into other areas of her life, including investing the staff at the company she works with, the children's nanny and even the disappearance of her husband.

It seemed a little obvious to me who the probable mastermind behind the heinous crime was, but it was interesting watching the unveiling process and finding out the reasons behind the person's plans.

The only similarity between Sara Winthrop and Eve Dallas, in my opinion, is that they are both smart, decisive and strong women. This is a psychological thriller that holds the reader's attention quite well.

3 stars

>26 catarina1: My business reasons for coming to KL are secondary really. My primary reason for coming to KL is the opportunity to meet with Paul and his tribe. The books were a delightful bonus, but I'd still come visit them anyway even if Paul decided to stop reading ........ maybe. ;-)

>25 cameling: My pleasure Caro. The group will be able to note at the very least that I am still here! Your company as always made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. xx

I have to add that Caro also gave me three books and she safely negotiated my purchases to get me three I don't already have.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Falling Up by Shel Silverstein
Soldier's Heart bt Gary Paulsen

We the three welcome additions into my book vaulted abode.

>28 cameling: hahaha I am not planning on doing that anytime soon. I am presently doing something of a stock take at home of unread physical books and I estimate that I have 20 years reading and about a million pages ahead of me!

Very late to check in - the Hosukai exhibit looks wonderful. I had some prints of his snow pictures somewhere - not sure where they ended up!

Hooray, for another Paul Meet-Up! When will our turn arrive? Hmmmmmmmmmm?

>2 cameling: What an incredible panda image!!

>12 cameling: Five stars. Okay, time for me to read some Haruki Murakami. I have a few about the house but haven't read a single one yet!

The meet up with Paul sounds fun. I remain hopeful about meeting him when he does his promised U.S. Tour.
I'll be in Boston for a couple of days in early September....

Happy new thread, Caro! I love all the images from the Hosukai exhibition - so lovely and interesting! And thanks for sharing the photo of your meet-up with Paul and company - how fun!

Looks like a great meet-up. I'm sure you had great food if Paul and Hani fed you as well as they did us, when we were in KL.

>29 PaulCranswick: I'm happy to confirm to all and sundry that Paul is indeed alive, well and as charmingly entertaining as ever!

Paul - I can't wait to return the hospitality when you make your way over to the East Coast of the US, and unleash Edd on you lot.

I feel guilty every time I read some of the newer books that I bring home instead of the ones that have been languishing in my TBR Tower, wearing their great coat of dust. I really should reorganize my books so I'm reading them according to age.

>31 charl08: Charlotte, he has so many great paintings and this was the largest Hokusai exhibition I've seen under one roof, so I was thrilled. I'm going to go back because we didn't have time to finish seeing everything since I needed to read each plaque that described each work. They also had a couple of videos that showed how a woodblock print was made and it is an extraordinary and long process. I looked at the woodprints in new light after that and am even more in awe of the artists who use this form of art.

Here's a YouTube video of a woodblock printing process for anyone interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8uF3PZ3KGQ

Just thinking of all the time spent painstakingly carving out multiple wood blocks with only specific sections of a single print that needs a specific color is mindboggling.

>32 msf59: Haha... working on it, Mark, working on it.

>33 EBT1002: Ellen - which Murakami books do you have, do you remember? He is one of my favorite authors. So far, there's only 1 book of his I've read which I didn't like because I didn't understand it, but even that didn't deter me from reading his other works. I do find, though, that I can't read his works back to back. I need to take a bit of a break between his works because I find I'm always thinking back to certain passages in the last book of his that I read for a couple of months after.

Do you know what dates in September you're going to be in Boston? I'd love to meet up with you while you're in town.

>34 Crazymamie: Hey there Mamie - I posted a link to a YouTube video in >37 cameling: if you're interested in the process he went through when he painted all his woodblock prints.

I foresee a huge MeetUp when Paul makes his way over for a US visit.

>35 SandDune: Rhian, always lots of food, fun and laughs with Paul and Hani. And this time we had the next generation adding to the merriment as well.

>38 cameling: Let's see, I think I have Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage..... I've been encouraged to start with Kafka on the Shore but I'm a bit worried about the apparent cat torture scene. ???

September 3-5, I think. I'll confirm.

I'm trying to catch up!
>25 cameling: Glad you had such a good visit.
>8 cameling: Love these. That man in red would terrify me if I had to fight him!

Hi Caro, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

I love your new(ish) thread, Caroline! Pandas multiplying like tribbles, Hokusai paintings, book reviews, a meet up photo with the Cranswicks. But where are the food photos?

>40 EBT1002: Kafka on the Shore is my absolutely favorite Murakami book. The cat torture scene isn't that bad that it lingers in your mind, so don't be put off by references to it. If there's anything negative at all that needs to be said about the book, that would be the one thing but it's not gratuitous. I think it does have some relevance to the character in the storyline.

*pencils in Sept 3-5 for a possible meetup*

>41 mstrust: Jennifer, you're not the only one. I am having a hard time catching up with everyone's thread too. I'm hoping a slower summer at work will give me more time to do more than lurk on threads.

I'm hoping to make another visit to the MFA before the Hokusai exhibition is over so I can get another walk through the collection before it leaves.

>42 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. It was actually a very nice weekend. I went to Singapore for the weekend and spent some time with my mother and friends. I also shared the Father's Day celebration with my brother's family.

>43 kidzdoc: Food photos coming soon, Darryl, now that I'm home again. :-)

As requested by Darryl, here are some food photos taken during my trip to Malaysia and Singapore. *Kath - avert your eyes*

fried and braised croaker in a ginger sauce


shredded pork stuffed in a steamed and then fried sweet bun with sesame seeds


sauteed mixed vegetables with beancurd skin

kway chap - rolled rice noodles with braised soy pork, hardboiled eggs, salted mustard greens, pig's skin, tofu and intestines.


char kway teow - fried rice noodles with shrimp and clams


nasi lemak - coconut rice, chili sambal, fried anchovies, hard boiled egg slices, cucumber and chicken curry. And aloe vera juice

otak-otak - grilled spicy fish paste wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over charcoal


This is what it looks like unwrapped

63. by Frances Itani
Tell

Thanks to Valerie for this recommendation. When a soldier returns from the war with PTSD, the effects of the war are felt not only by him but by everyone in the Canadian village. This story covers how they all cope with change.

4 stars

64. by David G. Gordon
The Secret World of Slugs and Snails

Quite fascinating look at slugs and snails, their environment, their anatomy (who knew a snail's anus was at the top of his head and is a hermaphrodite?!) and how they communicate. I'll never look at another slug or snail in the same way again. I might even allow them residence in part of my garden.

3.8 stars

65. by José Saramago
The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis

A doctor, Ricardo Reis, returns to Lisbon after spending 16 years in Brazil. He meets the ghost of a dead Portuguese poet and gets involved in a chambermaid at his hotel and a young woman with a paralyzed arm. In the meantime, a war is brewing in Europe. Charming, at times humorous and philosophical, this was a book that commanded my full attention.

4 stars

>49 cameling: But did book 65 use sentences? and punctuation? I'm still trying to find one of his that might work for me after three fails... This one sounds good, though.

>50 charl08: Yes, Charlotte, there was plenty of sentences of varying lengths and punctuation exists. This is the second Saramago book I've read and thankfully this one worked for me. My first experience was The Stone Raft and I gave up before I was even half way through. There were some spots in the book that was rather pedantic, but not too many.

>50 charl08: Ieeee! I knew that name--Saramago--was familiar. I struggled 76 pages into All the Names before drinking the hemlock. I couldn't get interested in going wherever it was Saramago was taking it. My bad.

>52 weird_O: I agree that his books aren't ones you can just rip right through. I couldn't make it even halfway through The Stone Raft and there were a few pages that I had to skim in Death of Ricardo Reis but on the whole, I liked this one and had no trouble reading it through. I don't think I would be bold enough to recommend this to one and all though. I think his writing will either speak to you, or it will frustrate you.

66. by Mary Costello
Academy Street

"There is, in some of us, an essential loneliness..."
This pretty much sums up the focus of the novel about Tess Lohan. The novel is about the life of Tess, from her childhood in Ireland when our introduction to her is at the death of her mother and the distancing of her father. Despite having siblings, Tess felt herself to be a misfit and alone. She moves to America to become a nurse, has a child, develops a close friendship with a neighbor, suffers through a tragedy and ultimately finds herself coming full circle in the land of her origin.

It's a quiet, simple story written in sparse sentences, of a quiet woman, who hugs the shadows of life, who wants more out of life but is afraid to reach out and take what she wants because she doesn't believe she deserves it. It's a story of loneliness. I felt her loneliness in every page and I empathized with her because there is some of that loneliness in me too.

3.8 stars

Happy Friday, Caro! Food & books! Ya gotta love it!! Everyone seems to be reading Academy Street. Sounds like a good one.

BTW: What are you drinking, my friend?

Stopping by with hellos, making a note of the fascinating food and another wonderful LT review for Academy Street.

>46 cameling: through >48 cameling:

Hi Caro, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>55 msf59: Mark, I thought the writing style a little too abrupt when I started reading Academy Street but as Tess's life started to unfold, I realized that any other style of writing wouldn't evoke the sense of solitude and loneliness as well as Costello's writing style did. Give it a shot, I think you'll like this one.

I had a lovely chilled bottle of Lis Neris 2008 Tal Luc white wine from Friuli, Italy at lunch with a plate of linguini with clams and a light tomato sauce.

>56 lkernagh: Thanks for stopping by, Lori. I picked up Academy Street on a whim and was very glad to have done so.

>57 nittnut: LOL... good one, Jenn.

>58 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. It is looking to be a delightfully restful weekend and I am glad for it.

67. by Ben Macintyre
The Napoleon of Crime :The Life and Times of Adam Worth, the Real Moriarty

Another good one by Macintyre, but for a change, not about spies in WWII, but instead a masterful criminal who led the Scotland Yard, the Pinkerton Agency, the French and Belgian police on a merry chase for most of his life. He died, was resurrected as a Henry Raymond, another famous individual who had died, and remained in this identity for the rest of his life.

He led a sophisticated gang of criminal forgers, bank robbers, thieves and safe crackers. While he built his empire, he rose from his poor American origins to become a wealthy Englishman living among the cream of Victorian society, all of whom were unaware of the criminal mind behind this little dapper gentleman.

His theft of Gainsborough's Duchess of Devonshire was simple and outrageous, and he kept her hidden for a quarter of a century.

The details around his activities make for fascinating reading. He was extremely intelligent, generous and loyal to his friends and family. Until the later part of his life, he didn't drink and he didn't condone violence. He was larger than life and was the inspiration behind Conan Doyle's Professor Moriarty and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Macavity the mystery cat in his musical, CATS.

4 stars

The hubster returned from a week in New York yesterday evening, very tired and worn out so I decided we'll just spend a lazy day today. Went out to do a little grocery shopping and stopped at a little Italian restaurant by the river for lunch.

I'm making dark chocolate peanut butter ice cream to go with brownies for dessert for tonight, and then planning to do nothing more active than lying on the couch to read until dinner time. We're just going to throw some steaks on the grill while I make popovers and roast some kale.

>55 msf59: Oh, that linguine and clam dish looks scrumptious.

Will you and Edd be in town in August? We will be making our usual pilgrimage - I think we agreed on the second weekend.

dark chocolate peanut butter ice cream? Oh MY!!!

>47 cameling: that flat noodle soup looks amazing. I don't know why, maybe I am just drawn to the carbs... But it looks sippy-licious.

>62 cameling: I could handle some of the ice cream. Just to try, mind you. It would be rude not to :)

>63 ffortsa: Judy, for the moment, we have no plans to be anywhere else but home in the first half of August. So yes.. if you're coming up for your annual pilgrimage, we'd most definitely LOVE to see you guys. Let me know when you finalize your dates and I'll touch base with Kate to see if we can arrange a six-some again.

>65 LovingLit: Roni, I made 2 quarts thinking it should last a while ...but it's more than half gone. This is my favorite ice cream flavor ...and better made at home since I put lots and lots of peanut butter. Is there any flavor better than dark chocolate peanut butter? Oh wait... yes there is ... Malted dark chocolate peanut butter!

>66 cameling: Megan, if we're ever in Singapore at the same time, I'd love to take you to this little cafe where I've been going for these flat noodles since I was a child. It is absolutely sippy-licious and totally more-ish

LOL .. I wouldn't want to force the ice cream on you now. ;-)

68. by Willy Vlautin
Lean on Pete

This was a simply beautiful book. 15 year old Charley Thompson has just one thing he wants to do, and that is play football in the next school year. His father leaves him alone at home most nights and Charley gets a job at the race track with a cranky unscrupulous horse racer. When his father dies after a fight, leaving Charley an orphan, Charley runs away with Lean On Pete, a horse he has gotten fond of, and who has a foot disease causing it to lose more races than it wins. Charley's only possession is a photograph of himself and an aunt. His travels with Lean On Pete take them across the country to find her, hopefully in Wyoming.

Charley's sparse narrative is the perfect showcase for his honest and straightforward but sometimes too trusting nature. He is the recipient of many kindnesses from strangers as well as the victim of cruelty and meanness. At all times though, he maintains an impressive ability to think on his feet and make the most of any luck that comes his way.

4 stars

69. by Helen MacDonald
H is for Hawk

This is a story of the author, trying to come to terms with the grief of losing her father to a sudden heartattack, as much as it is a story of T.H.White, author of, among others, The Sword in the Stone. What connects the 2 of these individuals? They both bought goshawks, albeit in different times, and wrote journals about their challenges and joys in getting to know their new feathered friend and training this bird, which remains wild at heart.

Helen shares many wonderful memories of her father with us as we watch her spiral into a deep depression. Her goshawk, Mabel, gives her a daily purpose and she compares her knowledge of training hawks and the process she goes through, with the clumsy and inadvertently cruel treatment Gos, TH White's goshawk suffers at his hands.

Through White's own writing, Helen shares his thoughts about his life, his time teaching at Stowe, the feats he achieved as a result of forcing himself to look at his own fears, and his concern and frustration with Gos.

Through Helen's training process with Mabel, we are brought into a world most of us will never experience. She helps us understand this wild and beautiful creature, and through this, she shares her innermost demons, her grief and gradually, the light at the end of her tunnel that draws her out of her depression.

It's such a wonderful memoir, so beautifully written that I couldn't help but give up sleep in order to read it from the start to the finish in one sitting.

4 stars

Good review of H is for Hawk, Caro! I also thought it was an excellent memoir. One of my favorite books of the year.

I'll have to snag a copy of Lean on Pete. Megan was also warbling about it. Sounds like my cuppa!

>68 cameling: I've got H is for Hawk sitting on the bookshelf. I hadn't realised it dealt with the life of T.H. White as well.

>68 cameling: Just got this from the library after (cough, cough) quite a while of waiting. Really looking forward to reading it.

>68 cameling: Nice review of H is for Hawk, Caro. I'm chomping at the bit to read that one; I'm hoping someone gives it to me for my birthday, as it sure sounds like a keeper.

>69 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I would have liked a bit more description into the anatomy, eating habits, hunting habits and flight dynamics of goshawks in general, but I guess I should get an ornithology book specific to hawks for that level of detail. I loved how she managed to bond with Mabel, but at the same time, I shared her horror when I read how White tried to train Gos how to jump onto his gloved hand. Poor Gos! *sniffle*

>70 SandDune: Rhian, I didn't either when I first started the book. So consider it a 2-in-1 bonus. :-)

>71 charl08: If it makes you feel any better, I was on the wait list at my library for a month and a half before I got my copy. Get comfy .. because you're unlikely to be wanting to move around a lot or be interrupted once you get into this book.

>72 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I liked it a lot and there are parts of the book I'd love to re-read periodically. So yes, I think it's a keeper too and later when it's out on paperback, I might buy a copy.... and hope the hubster doesn't recognize the cover. ;-)

Did anyone feel that leap second today? :-)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/science/leap-second-will-extend-the-day-and-mi...

Caro, we are confirmed for the weekend of August 8th.

>75 ffortsa: Judy, as of now, I have no travel plans for that weekend. So I'm penciling you guys in! :-) Yaaay.

Yes to all of the food in #46-48!

>73 cameling: It does. Thanks for the empathy! I've taken the warning and decided to read it at the weekend, so I don't have that reading past bedtime on a week night dilemma.

>67 cameling: Caro, I must find Lean on Pete. Vlautin was a new author to mew until I read his newest The Free last year for Maine Reader's Choice panel. I love his writing style and this one sounds really good.

>67 cameling: yum! Love that book! I have a friend called Charlie and his fiancé has a love of horses. At the start of this book I thought maybe to give them the book, but then. All the stuff happened and I thought maybe not!

Hi Caro, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Happy 4th, Caro! I miss your face. Hope all is well, my friend!

I just started In the Country: Stories. This is soooooooooo your cuppa!

>77 kidzdoc: Darryl, I knew you would approve. I wonder if you will approve or gag at my latest experiment .. we had a hotdog party yesterday and I made a lot of different toppings for the hotdogs and let everyone just do what they wanted. I had a bowl of beer sauerkraut, mac & cheese, crispy bacon, pickles, relish, sauteed peppers & onions, cheese sauce, smoked salmon, capers, chopped Vidalia, beef chili, onions and fried garlic slices.

My first hotdog was a chili cheese dog, and my second was sauerkraut, peppers & onions with garlic slices. I thought I took a photo of that pair, but I can't find it so it must not have been saved. :-(

I do have a photo of my 3rd and 4th hotdog though ..the one on the left is a hotdog with kimchi & yellow mustard, and the one on the right has crispy bacon under cottage cheese.

>78 charl08: I ended up reading through the night on my latest read as well because I just needed to know what happened next. Good thing it's a holiday today but because I read through the night, the hike we had originally planned went out the window since neither the hubster nor I woke early. He ended up staying up past 3am as well watching movies on tv.

>79 tututhefirst: Tina, I really liked Lean on Pete. I liked the writing so much that I didn't even mind that the protagonist must have had an army of solid Guardian Angels watching over him for him to get out of the number of scrapes he found himself in.

>80 LovingLit: Megan, I don't know.. maybe your friends will enjoy Lean on Pete. After all Charlie is a really resilient boy despite getting into deep water and odd situations and he finds solutions. Then again, being horsey people, they will probably be upset at Del's treatment of his horses and Lean On Pete's struggles.

>81 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. Those are very interesting planters. I hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend too.

>82 msf59: Happy 4th to you too, Mark. It's been a busy week after Hump Day, but I am doing absolutely nothing today except watch Wimbledon on TV and start The Strange Library by our dear friend Haruki Murakami. I'll also have time today to catch up on everyone's threads.
I had to check the reviews for In the Country and it does sound interesting. I'll have to see if my library has a copy. :-) Thanks for the tip.

70. by Katherine Howe
Conversion

The infamous Salem Witch Trials are covered with a little creative license, as is a mention of The Crucible and the difference between Miller's play and the actual historical events. In this book, a private girls' school in Danvers, MA is which used to be the site of Salem Village before it was renamed. When a senior suddenly has fits in class, it starts a wave of girls being struck by mysterious illnesses that were first diagnosed as effects of a vaccine, then effects of strep throat, then PANDAS and then environmental toxicity before the final diagnosis of conversion disorder.

Woven intermittently through these events is the confession and story of Ann Putnum and the events that led up to the Salem Witch Trials in the 1700s.

Were the girls being poisoned, under some kind of an evil presence or was it just mass hysteria and faking?

It's an interesting look at the stress teenagers go through today and compare that against the stress young girls went through in the 1700s and what how it can impair mental and physical well-being.

4 stars

Good review of Conversion, Caro! This one sounds good. And I LOVE that cover. I have had it on my To-Read list since it came out. May have to bump it up.

>84 cameling: I think the Charlie character is wonderful. He had so many chances to stuff up royally, but held on to his character. You are right about the horses though, i think it would be too painful for her to read about the treatment of them.

I do approve of your hot dog experiments! I probably would have tried a small portion of the kimchi and bacon and cottage cheese varieties, to be sure that I liked them, but I think that I would have. I would have turned down broccoli dogs or fish head dogs, though.

Nice review of Conversion; I may have to read that one. We've been seeing increasing numbers of teenagers, mostly girls from middle class families, who have stress related disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia, chronic abdominal pain or headache, migraines, pseudoseizures, PANDAS, etc.) that lead to hospitalization to rule out more serious conditions, which are mainly driven by the parents. These have become my (and my group's) least favorite patients, as their parents, especially the mothers, are filled with anxiety and are often unreasonable and refuse to believe that their children's symptoms could have a psychiatric basis. (I think my blood pressure has doubled in the past few minutes just thinking about these girls and their families.)

>87 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I think you'll really like this one. I didn't want to say anything about how it ended because it would have been a total spoiler, but it does have an interesting ending which, for anyone in RL book clubs, would, I think, lead to some very active discussions. So bump it way up your list.

>88 LovingLit: The sad thing is, Megan, I was talking to a vet friend soon after reading Lean on Pete and he said that it's not even uncommon in the smaller, less regulated horse races. The organizers usually have horses examined and tested before races, but there are trainers and owners who have no real love for the animals and see them only as tools to their glory, inventing new ways to abuse them that escape examination. Much like athletes finding new ways to use steroids without being caught.

>89 kidzdoc: Darryl, personally, I don't see how anyone could not like my hot dog topping experiments from Friday. They all elevated the ordinary hotdog into new realms. I would definitely make these ones again this summer. You mention fish head dogs... hmmm..... there's an Indian fish head curry made with large red snapper head that is really tasty. But no, I think the curry would just overwhelm the hotdog and you wouldn't be able to taste anything except the bun and curry. Not necessary bad, but the hotdog would, I think, lose it's place.

In Conversion there was exactly one such hysterical and unreasonable parent, who blamed the school and government conspiracy for the mysterious illness that befell her daughter. Of course she also got to go on national TV and relished her short moment of fame, but I wanted to strangle that woman every time she opened her mouth. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for you and your colleagues to have to deal with parents like this.

I can see how stress can cause some disorders such as bulimia, anorexia and migraines, but to now learn that it can also be the cause of pica, pseudoseizures and other physical conditions has made me realize that untreated stress can be really dangerous. I'm reminded now of the suicide rates of teenagers in Japan and Korea who have to deal with the high levels of stress during their senior high school year exams and the pressure they face from their parents and which they place on themselves to get good enough grades to get into university.

71. by Haruki Murakami
The Strange Library

A boy goes to the city library to return some books he borrowed and requests some other books on the Turkish taxation system. He's taken to a room where he meets an old man who retrieves 3 large tomes on the subject but informs him that he cannot take them out but has to read them in the library. While worried that he needs to be home for dinner or his mother will worry, he's persuaded by the man to stay and read. And there begins his stay in what turns out to be a very strange and frightening library. He meets a sheep man and a girl who can't speak during his stay and what transpires is a fantastical tale that has all the hallmarks that I have come to expect from this author.

4 stars

>90 cameling: I could eat fish head curry, as long as I didn't have to look at the head or eyes.

Darryl, personally, I don't see how anyone could not like my hot dog topping experiments from Friday.

Oh, I could think of a few people here who would frown upon your lovely hot dog concoctions. Not me, though.

How about haggis on a hot dog? Mmm...

I think I know the parent you mentioned that appeared in Conversion. Actually a few of my "favorites" could have played that role.

I do wonder about what will happen to these stressed out kids once they become adults. Many of them have at least one parent with anxiety disorder or some other psychiatric illness, and I fear that the problem will perpetuate and worsen in future generations.

>92 kidzdoc: I'll blindfold the fish after it's cooked so you don't need to look at the eyes. Not sure how you're going to avoid looking at the head though if you're eating fish head curry. *smirk*

Haggis on a hot dog... hmm.... haggis and baked beans on a hotdog would I think, go very nicely. I should put together a book of hotdog toppings. I've tried out so many different ones through the years. I think my worst was peanut butter and banana, which was a surprise because I love peanut butter banana sandwiches, but somehow it didn't work on a hotdog.

I don't know if it's my imagination because of the media coverage following individuals of violent crimes who are later exposed to be suffering mental illness, but is there an increase in the number of people with anxiety disorders and psychiatric illnesses? It is a sobering thought that kids with at least one parent suffering from some sort of psychiatric illness is more likely to also suffer from it. Are anti-depressants the commonly prescribed drug of choice?

71. by Cory Doctorow
In Real Life

Graphic novel about a teenager whose real life merges with her online gaming world. It's a good study of economics and the cultural differences between labor practices in the US and China.

3 stars

72. by Arnaldur Indriðason
Black Skies

Inspector Erlendur has gone on vacation and nobody can get in touch with him or knows precisely where he has gone. In the meantime, his colleague, Sigurdur Oli is being plagued by his mother to help catch her friend's newspaper thief, an incoherent drunk who sends him a short strip of pornographic film and keeps trying to meet him, and is sought out by an old friend who asks him for a favor concerning a victim of blackmail.

When Sigurdur discovers the woman blackmailer with her head bashed in, and narrowly escapes being fatally injured by her assailant, he finds himself skating the thin line of police procedure trying to piece together this woman's life and her victims.

I miss Erlendur's presence and I hope he comes back in the next in the series.

3 stars

73. by Danica Novgorodoff
The Undertaking of Lily Chen

2 brothers in China get into a fight and one dies in an accident. His distraught parents send their surviving son to find a dead bride for their favorite son, to be wedded in death so he has a companion in his afterlife. Thus begins the journey of Deshi to find his brother a woman with the help of a grave robber but who discovers Lily Chen, a feisty and talkative girl desperate to escape from her village and make her way to Beijing. Their adventures during Deshi's quest are depicted through drawings and beautiful watercolors.

3.5 stars

Having just spent the last 3 days talking to roofing consultants, I know now far more about roofing systems than I ever thought I needed. Our house and garage roofs are both in really bad shape after this last winter and we need a new roof. 3 hours was the average time I spent with each roofing adviser. But finally, after evaluating 4 proposals, we have made our decision, signed the contract despite a very loud shriek I heard from my emaciated bank account and can now sigh a relief that we will have a new roof in a couple of month's time. When the various costs came in, I did, for a while, consider convincing the hubster that all we really need is a large and thick tarpaulin from Home Depot. Yeesh! There are cars cheaper than what a roof costs!

Women's Final at Wimbledon is on this morning so I'm putting off chores and a morning run in lieu of watching history being made today. Either Serena will win her 6th Wimby title and move one step closer to her 2nd career Grand Slam, or Muguruza will win her first Wimby title and beat Serena's incredible run this year.

Happy Sunday, Caro.

Thank you, Barbara. I'm a little bit sad today because Federer lost his match against Djokovic in the Men's Final at Wimbledon, but it's a hot sunny day and I'm going canoeing after lunch, so that should lift my spirits. I hope you're having a lovely weekend.

74. by by Kevin C. Pyle
Take What You Can Carry

Rather disappointing GN. The story flips back and forth between the present day when a teenager who moves to a new town, gets in trouble for stealing from a grocery store, and the 1940s when Japanese Americans were interned after Pearl Harbor was bombed. The tie in the story between the 2 periods was rather loose and I found this a rather dissatisfying read.

2 stars

>83 cameling: Ooh. I want to try the kimchi hot dog! That sounds pretty good.

>93 cameling: Interesting question about whether there is an increase in mental illness. I think there probably is, and I have lots of opinions about that, but I won't go there. I'll just mention that in an article I just read about the subject, a prominent psychologist described an interesting phenomenon he started noticing about 10 years ago. He started seeing patients who were products of happy, well to do, supportive homes and they were coming to see him because they were not happy. It turns out that their parents were so very, very supportive and their sport teams were so positive (no score keeping and medals for everyone), and their teachers were so indirect and soothing about bad grades or test scores, that they reached adulthood without ever having to deal with failure or disappointment on any significant level. Then they went out into the real world and they couldn't deal with just being average. Everything needed to be Awesome. All the time. Or they weren't happy. First World Problems, right? I thought that was pretty interesting. I'll see if I can find the link.
I also just read a book about borderline personality disorder, and they talked about the high correlation between children of parents with BPD having a high incidence of BPD themselves. The thing they haven't been able to determine is how much is nature and how much is nurture, but they think, and it makes sense to me, that living with a crazy person makes it more likely that you'd get a little nutty yourself.

>83 cameling: Jenn, that was one of my better experiments for hotdog toppings. :-) I've had it again since and it still tastes good.

I was at a dinner party a couple of nights ago and the topic of teenage anxiety and depression came up. There were a psychiatrist and a child psychologist among the diners, and it led to a really healthy discussion on possible causes and treatment. Needless to say the psychiatrist didn't see eye to eye with the psychologist. One believed medication should be prescribed and that the person would probably never be able to be off it, while the psychologist believed that only in extreme cases would medication be necessary and that alot of kids could benefit from counseling therapy sessions.

You bringing up unhappy patients who came from happy and supportive homes is interesting. I've often wondered if an abundance of non-deserving praise does more harm than good to a child in the long term.

We had an intern at work last summer who was found crying in one of the conference rooms a week after she started work with us. When her manager asked her what was wrong (she actually thought maybe someone in the intern's family had died) she was shocked when the intern said that she was sad because she had put together folders with documents for a meeting that morning (her manager actually had all the material printed and separated into different piles, and all she had to do was take one of each and place them in the folder. And there were only 12 folder packs to put together) and nobody told her that she did a good job putting the folders together! Note : Her manager thanked her for the job as she placed them in the meeting room. Crazy!!!

What's even crazier is this intern didn't show up for 3 days, without a call to say she's sick or something, and her manager rang her cellphone, leaving voicemail to see if she was ok everyday until finally calling her parents, and was told by her parents that their daughter had found another job because she didn't feel appreciated being an intern at my company! Her parents didn't see anything wrong with her not calling to let us know she wasn't coming in anymore since we weren't paying her! Yeesh!

Last year was the first time we sourced outside our company for interns. We've gone back to hiring only interns who are relatives of current employees. Haha.

75. by Ursula Le Guin
The Wind's Twelve Quarters

What an amazing collection of short stories. What I especially liked was the preface before each story when the author gave the background to how or when she had the idea for the story.

If anyone has never read anything by Ursula Le Guin, I'd really recommend this as a 'tester' book because it will give you a really good idea whether you like her style of fantasy writing. Each time I finish a story thinking, that would be my favorite, I'll read another and revise my opinion. Now that I've read the book, I realize I don't have a favorite story, but a favorite book!

4.5 stars

Congrats on 75, Caro! What a good one for your 75th. It's one of the few of hers I haven't read, so I'd better fix that.

76. by Mimi Pond
Over Easy

You could be forgiven for thinking this a lighthearted coming-of-age graphic novel about Margaret who, denied financial aid that would see her through her last year in art school, develops a bit of a haven for herself in a diner as she tries to figure out what to do with her life. Continuing to sketch people, objects and the interior of the diner, she become absorbed in the lives of employees and regulars at the diner. As she morphs from Margaret to Madge, she moves right into the swing of things in 1970s California among the hippies and punks she meets, introduced to the drug and music culture.

It takes a while for Margaret to realize that her friends are just as confused as she is, that some of them are having trouble finding their way out of their drug addictions or trying to make sense of their sexual identities.

3 stars

>104 jnwelch: You should definitely add The Wind's Twelve Quarters to your reading list, Joe. It's right up your alley. It had been a long while since I read Le Guin, so this was such a refreshing read, and a reminder why I'd like her other books.

Congrats!

Congrats on the 75. I've not read any Le Guin for a while, so very tempted by the short stories...

Hi there! So jealous that you got to see Paul in person. Love the art exhibit pictures, all the Murakami reading, the hot dog contest (I like chili on mine), the Le Guin, and Conversion looks very interesting. Whew! Momentarily caught up on your thread again. : )

>107 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I'm very pleased that most of my reads have been good ones. I remember one year when I seemed to be picking a fair number of books that I didn't like. That was also the last year I forced myself to read books I didn't like all the way through. Must be an aging thing.... I'm more willing and able to put a book aside if I can't get into it within 50 pages.

>108 charl08: Thank you. I hope you allow yourself to be tempted into getting hold of a copy of the Le Guin. It was a really enjoyable series of short stories that I think you'll be hard pressed to pick just 1 favorite.

>109 Berly: Wow, you did good, Kim. I've not had much time to do more than lurk on the threads. I think I need another 24 hours to my day in order to do all that I want in a day. ;-)

I went out for a lovely meal with the hubster last night at the Island Creek Oyster restaurant before watching the movie 3 Hearts at the French Film Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts.

We started off with a dozen oysters: 6 Ichabod Flats and 6 Moon Shoal. They were all plump and delicious!


Followed that with a lobster bisque


A light crabcake over guacamole, red onion and cherry tomatoes


And finally, grilled razor clams with pancetta and garlic.

Oh, what a wonderful looking meal.

>112 catarina1: It was our first time at that restaurant. You may be sure we will be back to try other items on their menu. :-) Very vibrant atmosphere, so not great if you want a romantic dinner since chances are you're going to need to speak up if you want your dining partner to hear your sweet nothings. Haha..

I was craving some Peranakan food today. Since every dish is a labor of love, I only take on the task of cooking this cuisine only when I have a lot of time ..... and love the people I plan to feed. :-)

This is Nasi Ulam, rice that is mixed a sauce made of shrimp paste, lime leaves, lemon grass and tumeric leaves. Then tossed with cut up shrimp, flaked grilled fish, green beans and toasted grated coconut.


Surondeng Beef, which is beef marinated in a spice mix of galangal, ginger, cumin, coriander and small red onions, and then braised in a tamarind sauce with grated coconut and palm sugar.


Papaya Masak Titik, which is papaya and salted fish braised in a shrimp, candlenut and small red onion broth.

And another wonderful meal. Can I come to your house?

Wow. Those dishes sound and look wonderful. Hope your hard work was appreciated!

Happy Sunday, Caro! All that food looks fantastic. You got my stomach rumbling.

That Le Guin collection sounds really good.

Ooh, all of those dishes look amazing!

So is dinner at your house on Saturday?

>115 catarina1: LOL, sure. There's always a seat here for you any time you want to come over on days that I'm cooking. :-)

>116 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. Yes, there were unsolicited appreciative moaning emanating from the hubster and 2 friends around the table last night. So the hard work paid off. I love feeding people, so that's another regret that we weren't able to have kids, and it's so satisfying when whomever I'm feeding voluntarily show their appreciation by helping themselves to seconds and thirds.

>117 msf59: Mark, is it Sunday already?! Where did the weekend go?!! I'm not ready for Monday tomorrow! You'll let this Le Guin. It's just right up your alley, so I hope you snag a copy at some point.

>118 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. It made me feel almost like I was back home again. What would really have freaked me out would have been if someone had stabbed me on the arm with a fork for sneezing at the table. Then I would really have felt like I was having dinner at the family table. :-)

>119 ffortsa: LOL... I offered, but Kate had the better idea of having a pool party and asked me to bring dessert. I might bring an appetizer as well as dessert. :-)

The hubster is off to CT today to visit a friend who've over from Malaysia on a biz trip, so I get the dubious pleasure of cleaning out the guest bedroom on my own before the contractor comes to repair the ceiling on Tuesday. Then again, most of what I'll be clearing would be books and bookcases, so it's something I'd been thinking of doing for the last .... 5 years? Way to procrastinate, huh?

Made blueberry muffins this morning for breakfast and for the hubster to bring with him when he visits his friend and his family

77.
Leaving Berlin

Drama, thrills, betrayals, murder, love, espionage and compromising one's conscience. This nail-biting thriller set in post WWii sees a Jewish writer, who, having fled the Nazis in Germany by coming to America, now finds himself yet again a target. This time by the rabid McCarthy witch hunters who see Communists in every shadow. In order to protect his family, he makes a bargain with the newly formed organization known as the CIA and returns to his native Berlin as their spy.

Once there, he realizes that very little remains of the city he once knew and that the true nature of his mission had been withheld from him. When a mission misfires, an agent is killed and our protagonist finds himself on the run, he discovers the person he was to spy on is someone from his past, someone he thought he'd never see again, someone he's always loved.

Fast paced and exciting, this was another all-nighter for me because I just could not put it down.

3.8 stars

78. by Harper Lee
Go Set a Watchman

I'm sure everyone's already many a book critic's review of Harper Lee's sequel to the iconic To Kill a Mockingbird. It was indeed very disappointing to realize Atticus Finch is a segregationist but what made the discovery interesting for me was that in the new light of his beliefs, when I thought back to the values that Atticus imparted to Scout and Jem when they were children, I can continue to admire that part of the man who devoted himself to teaching his children good morals, that everyone deserves a fair trial and not to judge someone without first considering all the facts.

That Scout has returned as an adult to visit her aging father and has the scales fall from her eyes is part of what made this book work for me. I would have liked for Atticus not to have been a segregationist, but I think the focus is no longer so much on Atticus but on the maturity that Scout has grown into. Her return to Alabama makes her question her childhood memories and lessons, and question her father's views on race.

What I did find jarring was the rather disjointed writing. Even if this had been written prior to TKAM, was it not edited before being published? I'm not a fan of the writing, but I do give points for Ms Lee raising issues that continue to plague our society today.

3 stars

>121 cameling: Pool party sounds fine - can't wait to see what you bring for desert.

>122 cameling: We just got our beautiful new bookshelf, and I took the opportunity to put all my fiction in one place. I left the first editions and the limited editions where they are, since they really should be out of the sun, but it was great to reorganize. I did weed out a few, and will probably weed out a few more over time, but all the dead-tree fiction is in one place at last.

Did you do a cull, or just a head-count? I keep saying I should get rid of the books I've read on the theory that I won't want to reread them, but...

>123 cameling: Adding that to the shopping cart, pronto!

The editing (or lack thereof) of GSaW has gotten lots of talk on various websites and with critics. I'm interested to read this novel keeping in mind the context of time and location. So interesting to have an icon of social justice turn out to be, still, a man of his time with what now seems to be an incomprehensible perspective (though, here I am in the American south and I have seen more than one vehicle sporting a confederate flag in what I can only interpret as a bird-flip to the federal government and the government of the state of South Carolina). Anyway, about Atticus, as you say, he believed in a fair trial no matter who the accused. Such complexity....

Good review of GSaW, Caro. I don't think I'll read this one, but Scout as an adult is the biggest draw from my POV. Loved her character in TKaM.

>102 cameling: non deserving, and non specific praise is a great way to kill off persistence in a kid, imo. It is so hard though, as when they are very little you find yourself saying "oh you're amazing, you're walking" etc....when that is actually a normal developmental stage. Plus, they are so cute and you love them so much its hard to resist praising them. I have a little sign on the inside of the wardrobe door saying "praise the effort not the result" as I reckon that is a good tip.
That intern story is crazy!! I can barely see how some people get on in life....

Interesting reflections on Go Set a Watchman, I heard a guy on the radio talking about it today and he thought it was a fascinating societal commentary....about how all white people back then had some element of racism in them purely because of the times....yikes, getting into controversial territory here. But I like what I hear about it as it does get people questioning themselves, and truths that they may or may not have blindly accepted.

Okay, I am totally hungry now. And it is midnight. Argh!!! Good thing you redeemed yourself with your thoughtful review of Go Set a Watchman. ; )

>124 ffortsa: Any requests, Judy? I was thinking of something with dark chocolate this time... but if there's something you would prefer, I'm open to suggestions.

I managed to do a cull. But before I pat myself on the back, all the 'culled' books are in boxes in the dining room. If they actually make it to the used bookstore this weekend, only then will I be proud of myself. Why? because I've been going back to the boxes, and moving some of the books into another box of 're-reads'. It's actually quite shocking how many boxes I managed to fill though. Now to try and psych the hubster into doing the same thing with his books in his study!

The biggest challenge I had when I was going through the culling process was not sitting down to read some of them again. As it was, I ended up reading a few pages of some of the books, thus drawing out the chore. I also ended up putting a few aside (currently on a table in the TV room) to read again with the determination that they will then be moved into the boxes targeted for sale after I've re-read them.

My will power appears to be as firm as a wet noodle when it comes to parting with books.

>125 EBT1002: Ellen, I'd say that while you do have to read GSaW in the context of the time and place, I think there are still some people today who identify with the elderly Atticus, sad to say. Despite the poor editing, it's still a book I would recommend.

>126 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I liked that this was from Scout's perspective as an adult and I like that the author was not afraid to address disturbing social issues using a beloved character.

>127 LovingLit: Megan, I like the sign you have behind the door. I am going to share that with some of my friends who have little kids, especially one woman who seems to praise her kids for even breathing.

Speaking of weird interns, we had an intern last year who asked her manager if she could sit in her office with her because she doesn't like working in a cubicle, but prefers to be in a room with a window so she could look out when she's bored. Huh?

Interesting comment by your radio personality. I think there are some people who really don't believe they are racists towards any group(s) of people but will say or do something unconsciously which could indicate latent racism in them. GSaW will definitely heat up any book club discussions.

I've been keeping my eye on a nest of eggs in a tree outside my husband's study and today the birds are big enough for me to take a couple of photos where they appear more than just little brown blobs.

There is soooo much dust all over the house, despite our contractor doing a fabulous job with his cover sheets. I can't wait for the ceiling work to be done so we can vacuum the whole place. I guess we're going to need to buy paint supplies so that once everything is dry, we can get to painting the rooms. It's giving me second thoughts about remodeling our downstairs bathroom later.

Wow, those nest shots are impressive. I love these 'hidden camera' nature shots.

>132 cameling: yikes, renovations are a pain. Good luck with the dust. Dinner out maybe?

Kids have been on term break for 2 weeks. It's taken me the whole first week of them back at school to get myself organized. Lol

>102 cameling: That is the craziest story about the intern! As if somehow the fact that she wasn't getting paid meant nobody was counting on her being there? Odd. And while it is nice to be appreciated, ideally we do things for the internal reward. Knowing we've done what we set out to do. Are we somehow not teaching this generation how to find the internal reward? Could video games have something to do with it? These are questions that I ask myself often. My kids will tell you that I'm terrible at rewards. They come to me and say, "Hey Mom! I cleaned my room! What can I have?" and I say, "A clean room! Doesn't it feel great?" Grin.

Renovations are a huge pain. We had our roof worked on one time and even after they finished, I felt like we had more dust than usual for about 6 months. It's like it just falls out of the ceiling or something. Are you tempted to reno the bathroom now too? Lol

Sheesh. Are the interns supplied with pacifiers, stuffed animals and blankets as well?

Happy Friday, Caro! Hope you are surviving the dust and disruptions. Reading is a perfect distraction. Good luck.

>133 charl08: The baby birds have flown and we literally have an empty nest to look forlornly at now. It was time for them to leave ... now that they're gone, I've been able to take a closer look at the nest and I can't believe how small the nest is. It seems incredible that there could have been 4 birds growing and getting squashed in there. I bet they're glad to be out with more space between them and their siblings ... if they're staying together, that is.

>134 LovingLit: Megan, I don't know why it seems that there's still dust on the floors despite our having vacuumed thoroughly after the contractor left. *sigh*

>135 nittnut: Jenn, haha.. we were just talking about future renovations last night and we might put them off for another 2 years ... until the memory of all this residual dust is wiped out. It's incredible that I'm still feeling dust under my feet as I move about the house. Another round of vacuuming this weekend to be sure followed by a round of a wet mop.

It's the consensus now that we are not going to look outside internal recommendations for interns anymore. We never had any problems with interns in the past when they were all children or relatives of employees. Some of the interns ended up being hired as full time employees after graduation by us as well. So it's not as if we use interns only for unessential tasks, but for some of them with an interest, we groom them for a full time job and teach them about whatever area in our company they're interning in. So I think the crazy interns we've had were silly not to recognize the opportunities they had with our company.

>136 kidzdoc: Darryl, I don't know what the parents and teachers of those interns were teaching their kids, but they certainly didn't do them any favors by coddling them and allowing them to develop such a princess attitude.

>137 msf59: Alas, Mark, I'm in a bit of a book funk right now ... not that I'm not reading, but I've got to put aside my personal reading for a spell and read a few books for work. What's worse is I can't toss them just because they're boring and I have to finish them.

On the other hand, I did have a lovely afternoon and evening out yesterday. I took the afternoon off with one of my coworkers and we headed into Boston to meet another friend and just bar-hopped. Very relaxing after a long week.

Final 2 stages of the Tour de France. It's been an exciting race so far, lots of great moments as well as some awful accidents. These guys are incredible. I have no doubt they're all doping in some way or other, because there's no way it'd be humanly possible to race 21 stages and in the torturous Alps in the times they are producing. Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana have been incredible so far.

79. by Philip K. Dick
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Fun futuristic dystopian look at Earth after World War Terminus. Most families have been encouraged to emigrate to Mars, and those who have chosen to remain on Earth live side-by-side with androids. But when certain androids become a little too 'human', they are hunted down and terminated by bounty hunters.

Our protagonist finds himself starting to empathize with some of the androids he's supposed to terminate, and needs to team up with one of them if he's to achieve an important goal.

The movie 'Blade Runner' was supposedly based on this book.

3.8 stars

I got a kick out of reading Do Androids Dream after seeing the Blade Runner movie. There are some substantial differences, aren't there? For some reason, that made me enjoy the book even more.

Philip K. Dick had a remarkable imagination. Lots of his have been adapted into movies, e.g. Total Recall, Minority Report, The Adjustment Bureau (one of our favorites), and A Scanner Darkly. Now there's a Man in the High Castle tv series.

>141 cameling: I did not know that! (that Blade Runner is supposedly based on this book)

Saw a camel today. Thought of you. I could say that almost every time I visit your thread! Today's camel was leather, and stitched. In a Reader's Digest magazine in a doctors waiting room....where else does one read a Reader's Digest!?

>142 jnwelch: Joe, I would say that Blade Runner was loosely based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep because although the central character was the same, the movie was more of a thriller. The book ran at a slower pace, and it had all that lovely moral psychological angst that left me pondering what I would have done if I had been in Deckard's shoes.

I think A Scanner Darkly was probably the closest to the book Philip K. Dick wrote compared to some of the other movies.

I loved The Adjustment Bureau and Minority Report. I thought Screamers was pretty decent, but I hated Next and Paycheck. I thought these were the worst movie adaptations from his books.

I haven't yet watched Man in the High Castle .. which network is carrying this series? Maybe I'll Netflix it when the season is over.

>143 LovingLit: Megan, I forgot most of the movie, so after reading the book, I've queued it in my Netflix to watch, perhaps later this evening.

I don't think I've even seen a Reader's Digest in a dentist or doctor's waiting room in a couple of years. How wonderful that they're still in publication and that a leather stitched camel graced its pages. :-)

80. by Susan Butler
East to the Dawn

This was a really indepth autobiography of Amelia Earhart which started out wonderfully and then suddenly in the last chapter covering her last flight before her disappearance there was less details around the places she stopped in at to refuel and the people she met. Odd that. But on the whole, it was a good read. What a fascinating woman, Ms Earhart was.

4 stars

81. by Mia Couto
Confession of the Lioness

A village in Mozambique is being menaced by lions and women are being killed. A hunter is called in to rid the village of the lions and he is accompanied by a reporter and a government administrator and his wife. The story unwinds through the narratives of a woman from the village and the hunter. There is something rather strange about the attacks on the women though, and one starts to wonder if perhaps there is something darker stalking the village.

4 stars

I blinked and it's already Wednesday?! How did that happen?

And now it's Thursday! and my work week is over. Yay!

Wow, 81 books! Congrats!

>147 ffortsa: Judy.. can't wait to see you guys tomorrow!

>148 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. Actually I appear to be slacking this year. Haha..

I went through a really thorough interview process yesterday. Yeesh, it's clearly a company that takes hiring the right fit very seriously. I had a full agenda, starting from 8am and not ending until 4pm. At the end of it, the President and Director of Sales said they really liked me and that I had the best presentation among all the candidates they'd interviewed in the last 2 months. :-) So now the ball is in their court to come up with an offer that I may consider accepting. :-)

82. by James Neff
Vendetta : Bobby Kennedy Versus Jimmy Hoffa

4 stars

I saw the author for Vendetta on "Well Read" last week. Interesting story. They really hated each other.
>150 cameling: I hope things work out in your favor!

>151 cameling: I knew they didn't like each other, but I didn't realize the extent of the hatred Hoffa had for the Kennedy family. What he said when he was informed that JFK died was really horrid.

Thanks Jennifer. They made it very clear that they liked me a lot during the day and I received a surprisingly good response from the panel after my presentation. So the ball's in their court now to make me an offer that I would be willing to accept while I grapple with considering whether or not this is the company I would like to work with. There are some issues I saw yesterday when I met with different senior managers and had a tour of their facility that makes me wonder if they may have allowed complacency to set in among some of the employees, in which case, if I did join them, I would stick out like a sore thumb because I'm definitely about 300% more high energy than most of the people there. ;-) But on the other hand, they are very nice people and I like what their company's mission is and the research that their products allow organizations to conduct.

So we'll see. I'm not desperate to leave my current company yet, so I'm in no rush to jump on the first halfway decent offer. And I've received a few more calls asking if I'm interested to interview with some other companies, so we'll see what shakes out.

Oh, wow...I didn't realize that you were thinking of leaving your current company. With all of the changes and turnover there recently, it's certainly understandable. It's great to hear that other companies are interested in you as well; that doesn't surprise me, though. Please keep us posted on what you decide to do!

Great to hear that the interview went well. I hope they make an acceptable offer to you.

>154 kidzdoc: news to me too. But quite understandable.

Seconding Darryl's WOW, also didn't realize you were looking around, although you've kept us up to date pretty much on the changes in your own company.

>154 kidzdoc: Darryl, I decided to look at my options now while I'm still marketable. :-) My biggest fear is that I might succumb to complacency and not do anything, staying with my current company because it would be the easiest thing to do. Change is key if I am to learn new skills, stay mentally challenged and make greater contributions to society.

>155 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. I'm not worrying about this because I have 2 other interviews coming tomorrow and later this week with 2 other interesting companies.

>156 ffortsa: It was so good to see you and Jim on Saturday, Judy. As always, Edd and I had a great time with the 4 of you. Wasn't dinner scrumptious?! *contented sigh*. I hope you had an uneventful and relaxing journey home.

>157 ronincats: Roni, my search is made easier because I'm still doing well in my present company, so I'm not feeling any pressure or desperation to get a new job immediately. I think this makes a big difference in the way I interview. I am just being myself and relaxed during the interviews.

An interesting moment came last week when, before my presentation to the panel, the HR manager asked that I put my presentation onto a thumb drive so they can upload it onto the Director of Sales' computer and have it projected to the panel. I politely declined since I could just hook up my laptop to their projector. She was a bit surprised that I said no. Later when i had my one-on-one with the Director of Sales, he brought it up as well, and said that the other candidates gave him their presentations so that he could review them with the rest of the team later on. I told him my reason for not giving him my presentation is that it has a value and just as I wouldn't give away their company's products away for free if I were to work with them, neither would I be giving away my work for free. I followed that by saying if I did end up working for them, they could have my presentation with no hesitation. If I didn't end up working with them and they still wanted it, I could let them have it for a consultant's fee. :-) I also said that since they now knew they wouldn't have my slide deck, that will prompt them all to pay attention during my presentation and take notes. He laughed and took it with good grace.

Your food pics are killing me! I may have to delve into my thermos and have my 2nd dinner, consisting of the leftovers from my 1st dinner.....Moroccan Harissa Stew (with chicken, chick peas and pumpkin)

^ I am glad he laughed and took it with good grace...you made a very valid set of points!!!!

>158 cameling: We had a great time too, Caro. Of course, you realize we didn't take any pictures. Oh dear.

As to your interesting moment, I feel you could teach me an awful lot about how to present myself and view my own work. Ever think of coaching other people in business?

Good luck with the job choices. :) Love that you held on to your intellectual property. Well done. *resounding cheer*

>158 cameling: Very well put and thought out, Caroline. I'm eager to hear what you decide to do.

>159 LovingLit: Megan, I love Moroccan stew, whether it be chicken or lamb. Mmm....

I was at a fun party on Sunday with a bunch of fellow Singaporeans living in New England. It was a potluck and the only rule was that everyone had to bring a Singaporean dish. There was so much food .. which is always to be expected whenever Singaporeans get together for a meal. Haha. I'm going to try and extract some of the photos and post them in this thread.

>160 ffortsa: Judy, I realized we'd forgotten to take photographs after I got home. *sigh* We'll need to be more mindful the next time we meet up.

I don't think I would make a very good coach at all. In fact, I KNOW I'd make a terrible coach. Edd, on the other hand, is a great coach for most people because he's incredibly patient and doesn't mind explaining the same thing multiple times. Me? I'd want to throw a decomposing fish at someone if they make me repeat myself after the 3rd time. Haha..

One thing I learned very very early on in my working life is that if I don't value myself or my work, no one else will and I'll have nobody to blame but myself if others start taking credit for the work I produce. I don't mean that we should be obnoxious about our work, but that we need to remember to be proud of the work that we do, if we've put in a lot of effort into it.

>161 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn. I think maybe because I was the only candidate to actually say no to them, that they took more interest in me? Not sure, but the expression on the Director of Sales' face when I said I wouldn't give them my presso made me want to giggle ... and I did .... inside, of course. ;-)

>162 kidzdoc: Darryl, so now I have 3 offers on the table. I had 4 but I rejected one yesterday and had a conversation with the CEO and VP of Sales about my reasons for rejecting their offer and the conversation further affirmed my decision not to work with them. I had stressed that the financial package was not the reason for my decision, but they kept interrupting me to offer a change here and there to the package they had offered me, raising the salary, bonus structure, non-refundable draws and commissions. It got to the point where I started to get really irritated with them. Either they have a problem listening (which wouldn't have boded well for me if I did work there) or they firmly believed that everyone can be bought if the price is high enough. In the end I said I had to go because I had a conference call. Exhausting people!

I've asked to meet with 3 people from different departments next week at one of the companies I'm seriously considering so I can get a better feel for the work culture. Anyone who listens to me during interviews and general conversation should get that work environments, policies and culture are paramount when I consider putting down roots. I'm not a job hopper. I don't believe in that, and so I am careful about where I might want to build a career with. They need of course to also have solid products and services, but that's something I would already have researched and ascertained before I even attend the first interview. No sense wasting everyone's time if I don't believe in what they do, or if I know they manufacture poor quality products, or shoddy services.

I'll have to make my final decision by the end of next week. That's the timeline I've promised everyone concerned. *a little scary*

I'm glad you have multiple choices for this major decision, Caro. Once you're satisfied with the products and services, work culture would be #1 for me, as long as the money and benefits were generally okay. We spend so much time at work!

A whole series of food pics coming .... gird yourselves! ;-)

Steamed chicken that's marinated with sesame oil, soy and ginger juice. Known as Hainanese chicken in Singapore.


Nonya chicken curry - chicken & potato curry with lemongrass

toast slices with 2 types of kaya (coconut jam. The green is coconut jam with panadus leaves, the brown is with palm sugar)


Min chaing kueh - a thick pancake-like sandwich with a sugared peanut filling


Bee hoon - rice vermicelli with vegetables, shrimp and barbequed pork

hokkien mee - rice vermicelli, egg noodles, squid, shrimp, spinach and omelette strips.


kueh pie ti - crisp shells that you fill with filling made of bamboo shoots, turnip, shrimp, pork & fried bean curd. Then topped with some vinegared chili and cilantro


nasi goreng - fried spiced rice with fried bean curd strips

otah otah - spiced fish mousse wrapped in banana leaves and then grilled


durian puffs - pastry encased durian mousse. In this case, she made little smiley faces too.


prawn verdai - shrimp encased in spiced batter and fried

sambal stingray - stringray in a tamarind curry


pandan cake - chiffon cake infused with the juice of pandanus leaves

If you can believe it, there was actually more food, but I started eating and didn't take photos of the other stuff, and by the time I got around to thinking about it, the photos didn't come out well because the food had already been dug into. Haha

Everything was home made. :-)

O
M
G
Stop the bus.
That is some spread!!!!!

I agree with Megan - Holy moly, that's a lot of food, and it looks amazing!

>172 LovingLit: Megan, I had forgotten to post the photo of the 'snack' table in the kitchen. So here it is:

>173 scaifea: Amber, yes there was quite a large amount of food. One dish I particular enjoyed was 5 crisp roasted ducks ... which I don't have a photo of because all the savages dug into the ducks within a minute of the platter being laid on the table. Yeesh.

There were 35 people at the party, mostly couples and a few families.

83. by Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train

Nail-biting thriller. Told through 3 female narratives. There's Rachel, depressed and alcoholic following the dissolution of her marriage, she takes the train and makes up a fantasy about a couple living in a house next to her old house. There's Anna, the woman Rachel's husband had an affair with, who's now married to him, living in Rachel's old house and who has a child. And there's Megan, Anna's neighbor and the subject of Rachel's fantasy.

As a reader seeing their worlds start to collide in slow motion and being unable to stop the collision.

If you enjoyed Gone Girl, you'll probably enjoy this thriller too.

3.8 stars

Wow. Food looks amazing. When's the cookbook coming out?

*faints from extreme food envy*

O.M.G. Can I apply for Singaporean citizenship?

I was going to say something semi-intelligent about your job search, but I can't think straight after seeing those photos...

>177 charl08: Funny you should ask. I've actually been toying with the idea of writing a cookbook with a friend who is a fantastic cook in the old style Peranakan ways too. But there are so many cookbooks out there and also recipes galore on the internet that I don't know if it would be of interest.

>178 kidzdoc: LOL .. Darryl, would you like me to make a smaller scale Singaporean dinner during your visit?

>179 cameling:

That would be awesome!

>180 kidzdoc: What the guys above said. It looks and sounds amazing, I'd love to read more about making some dishes myself.

Happy Sunday, Caro! Miss seeing you around. Love all the foodie pics. Yum. Glad you enjoyed The Girl on the Train. It may not be perfect but I thought it was a solid read.

A cookbook? Excellent idea! Get cracking, lady!

>180 kidzdoc: Haha.. I'll give you points for enthusiasm. :-)

>181 drneutron: You're more than welcome to join us if you're in the area too, Jim.

>182 charl08: If you'd like recipes to some of the food pics, let me know which one and I'll send them to you in a PM or post them in my thread.

>183 msf59: Heya Mark .. it's been quite a busy summer and I haven't had time to do much more than lurk on some threads. I feel a little guilty when I comment on some but not others so unless I have a big chunk of time to properly comment on everyone I follow, I'll just have to continue to lurk to be fair.

I thought Girl on the Train a good read too although I didn't like Rachel. I wanted to reach out many a times to shake her and tell her to pull herself together.

>184 scaifea: Haha Amber, somehow I think this is going on my 'Maybe' list of to-dos.

84. by Mia Couto
Under the Frangipani

I loved this story. Set in Mozambique, a police inspector is sent to investigate the death of the director of a refuge for old people. Unbeknownst to him, a dead man has occupied his body. The multiple narratives expose us to the different African voices in this refuge and the stories they tell speak to a different world.

4 stars

85. by Karen Abbott
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy

A very interesting narrative non-fiction profiling 4 courageous women instrumental to both the Confederates and the Unionists during the Civil War. I had already read a book on Emma Edmonds aka Frank Thompson but I was unfamiliar with Rose Greenhow, Elizabeth Van Lew and Belle Boyd.

A fascinating page turner that reads so much like a thrilling novel, which makes it all the more compelling because it all really happened.

4 stars

I've added the Mia Couto to my wishlist. I spent a very brief time in Maputo about eight years ago and it was so beautiful, I'd like to go back. And thanks for the kind offer re the recipes: so many dishes to choose from!

I have had a slightly torrid month or so, Caro, but making my way a little gingerly back onto the threads. Missed you.

>174 cameling: I can see why you needed panorama for that shot... ;)

Hi Caro! Looks like you've been keeping busy as ever - and your stomach as full as ever too! Wow, some seriously gorgeous and delicious food going on here. Hope you're doing well! And good luck on the job situation! You're far more intelligent and thoughtful about this than I'd be, that's for sure. :)

>188 charl08: I've seen photos of Mozambique and it looks like a gorgeous place. I'd love to visit some day.

>189 PaulCranswick: You're not alone, Paul. It seems a fair number of us are experiencing a less than leisurely year. I think I've lurked more this year than any other year on LT and there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel .. at least for 2015. Been missing you too. I hope things calm down for you soon.

>190 LovingLit: Megan - and at the end of the evening.. that table was actually cleared of food!

>191 LauraBrook: Thanks Laura. It's been an interesting few months to be sure. I have made a decision and accepted an offer. Now just waiting till they complete their background check.

>193 cameling: Oh, glad to hear it, Caro. I'm glad one of the job opportunities stood out for you. Happy Friday!

Happy Weekend, Caro. I love your food photos. Everything looks so delicious.

Great news! I hope it's a grand adventure in a new place.

>194 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I'm excited about new beginnings. And I bet you're looking forward to your upcoming London adventures in a couple of weeks?

>195 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. I've had a simply wonderful weekend. I hope you had a good one too and that this will be an excellent week ahead for you.

>196 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy. I hope so too. :-)

>197 cameling: Yes! We're getting close to the London trip. Just about two weeks.

Darryl came up to Boston for a visit and he celebrates his first day in town with a Scorpion Bowl with michigantrumpet, her husband and my hubster.

Visited the Harvard Art Museum but we didn't have much time there, so I only covered the first floor of ancient Chinese art and some contemporary art.





Oh look .. the ancient Chinese liked camels too :-)


I love Miró

And here's the man of the hour, Darryl .. in front of his namesake Southern restaurant where we went for a jazz brunch.



Yours truly with Darryl

Excellent photos! It looks like everyone had a great time.

Love the Meet-Up photos, Caro! Thanks for sharing. Everyone looks like they had a great time.

>202 scaifea: We had a blast. Should have taken a photograph outside the Harvard Coop bookstore we spent an hour or so in, but I didn't think of it.

>203 msf59: Mark, I was saying to Darryl that I really should plan a longer layover in Chicago the next time I'm flying out through your neck of the woods and perhaps meet up with you, Joe and other Chitown LTers. That'll be my resolution for 2016

Hurrah! Looks like a great meetup, Caro, along with some intriguing art.

We had a wonderful weekend full of art, food and super conversation.

I'm not usually big on Jackson Pollack, but I found this one mesmerizing

>200 cameling: I didn't even know Harvard had an Art Museum. I love the camel, along with everything else. So sorry I missed this rendezvous. Next time Darryl (or anyone else from LT) is in Boston, we just might swoop in and join in the fun. Or maybe just come up ourselves again.

Sounds like a wonderful time was had by all, along with the great food that is your trademark, Caro!

>201 cameling: a jazz brunch! Of course....as you do.
I love that about big cities, they give you the option to go out for jazz brunch.;)

Great pics, and I love the lengthy communal straw concoction.

>207 ffortsa: Judy, Harvard has a few art museums around Cambridge. The next time you come up, we should make a trip to some of them. The Harvard Museum of Natural History has an exhibit of glass flowers that remains one of my favorites.

>208 ronincats: Roni, we had a lot of laughs, good book shopping and good food. It's been an absolute joy having the opportunity to meet some LTers in person, and everyone I've met have been delightful and wonderful people in person, as they are on LT.

>209 LovingLit: Megan, I have to admit that we're pretty spoiled here in terms of food options. There are 3 places I like going to for jazz brunches or dinners, and there are a few good jazz bars here too.

The lengthy communal straw concoction is called a Scorpion Bowl and a few places here offer that. The one at the Hong Kong where we went to was nice and light. I've had some where they are more alcoholic, so the one we shared with Darryl was nice and refreshing for a hot afternoon.

Great news on a new work opportunity and I love the meetup photos, sounds like a wonderful day.

Thank you, Kerry. I'm really looking forward to starting my new job on October 1. I'm still trying to figure out when I should tell my company I'm leaving. ;-) I'm starting to document various processes that I've implemented at my current company including notes on various business partners I work with and projects that I'm involved in, so that when I do submit my resignation, I will also have detailed notes in a document that will enable a smooth handover to my boss. What I don't want to happen is for my leaving the company to cause any disruption in business and to cause confusion among our business partners and customers.

Will your new job involve traveling as you have been?

>187 cameling: I'm definitely adding Liar, Soldier, Temptress, Spy to the pile. Sounds fabulous.

Congratulations on the new job! I hope the transition goes smoothly. :)

Thanks for sharing the meet up photos. Looks like a good time was had by all.

Congrats on the new job, and hope that the transition goes smoothly too. I like the sound of your handover notes, all wonderfully organised.

Congratulations on the new job, Caro. Bet you must be excited.

I would bet money that you'll still be traveling. Can't imagine you with your business 'wings' clipped.

>213 ronincats: Roni, I'll still be traveling and to more countries than I did before in the Asia Pacific region, but it may not be as frequent, so that's something to look forward to. Or at least that's the plan. It's hard to tell just yet but I know I'll at least not be traveling the month of September since I'll be finishing up my work at my current place, and I won't be traveling the first month I work at my new company in October. The soonest I'd have to travel would be November.

>214 nittnut: Jenn, it was a really fascinating book. I had read A Soldier's Secret so I already knew Sarah Edmond's story and how she disguised herself as Frank Thompson in order to enlist, but I did not know much about the other 3 women who, because of their firm convictions, risked their lives in order to help their side win the war.

I hope the transition goes smoothly too. I have no doubt I will be fielding calls occasionally for the first few months after I leave, but if I can do as much now so those calls are at a minimum, that would be ideal.

I can honestly say that I've never had a disagreeable meetup with anyone from LT. It appears that this group is filled with wonderfully down-to-earth people who not only share a love of books but a love of life as well. There's never a lapse in conversation filled with an awkward silence with everything struggling to think of something to say. If anything, we're usually tripping over ourselves trying to fill as much conversation and laughter into the little time we have together.

>215 charl08: Thanks. I hope my notes will be helpful. My biggest fear is leaving out that seems insignificant but turns out to be the very detail that brings about chaos.

>216 Fourpawz2: Thanks Charlotte, I am excited to be starting somewhere new and in an industry I've not had any experience in before. They're taking a huge chance on me, I know and I hope I won't disappoint them.

I will indeed still be traveling. That aspect of my job hasn't changed but I'm looking forward to meeting different companies and I hope I won't need to be traveling every month like I did before.

Congrats on the new job, Caro!

My congratulations, too, Caro, on the new job. Exciting!

You also hit me with a BB for Liar, Soldier, Temptress, Spy. Sounds really good.

>218 scaifea: Thanks Amber.

>219 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. New beginnings are always something to look forward to.

Liar, Soldier is quite a page turner. I like the way the author spaced out the stories too, interweaving them rather than separating the individual women into chapters. It's incredible to me how some in the South could so firmly believe in the views they held about slave ownership and the dehumanization of a people. To say I was cheering for the Yankees would be an understatement. :-)

86. by David McCullough
The Wright Brothers

If Dayton, Ohio produced nothing else, she produced 2 brothers determined, humble and courageous enough to give the world our start in aviation. It's a story of a quiet and religious family, with a patriarch who encouraged his children to pursue their dreams, a family that fully supported each other and a family who remained till the end of their days, unchanged by the resulting furor.

McCullough's narrative non-fiction brings us into the lives and thoughts (where documented) of Orville and Wilbur Wright, brothers who could not have been closer if they had been born Siamese twins. From their beginnings owning a bicycle shop, they planned, tinkered and built gliders at first before graduating to motorized flyers. Everything they did revolved around meticulous planning, conscientious testings and deliberation. Their decision to use Kitty Hawk as the site for their initial testings brought them into a remote community who called the brothers, "2 of the workingest men" they'd ever seen.

Their attempts at launching a man controlled glider was not without multiple mishaps but nothing dampened their enthusiasm or their determination. It was the Europeans who first realized the potential of the Wright brothers' invention and feted them as they would have royalty. Still, patriotism dictated that the brothers offer their Flyer to the American government first and only when they were turned down did they then consent to contract with the French. It didn't take too long before the Americans realized their mistake.

From launching Flyer 1 to a motorized propeller plane, the Wright brothers continued to seek ways to improve aviation technology, to fly higher and to fly faster. Wilbur's flight around the Statue of Liberty prompted one individual to remark that there was a new seagull in the air.

I found the last paragraph in the book to be very touching, that when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, as a tribute to the Wright brothers, he brought with him, "a small swatch of the muslin from a wing of their 1903 Flyer".

4.5 stars

>200 cameling: the ancient Chinese liked camels too
Doesn't everybody like camels? Visually anyway. In the flesh my impression is they're not the most pleasant animal.

>221 cameling: The Wright Brothers
Oh, that looks good.

Congratulations on the new job!

Great meet up photos, Caro! How cool the Darryl has a namesake restaurant! As for The Illuminations, I would get it out of the library and try it. On personal level, I did not find the Afghanistan war bit to be too harrowing - at least not much of it. But of course everyone is different. The Afghanistan part of the book, which is a fairly small portion of the book - maybe 1/4 of the story? was on the less interesting side and far too much use of the word f....g. That part got to me the most. Congratulations on your new job!

Congratulations on the new job.

And I must say after visiting your thread, I am always hungry.

Exciting news on the new job. You won't have any trouble with leaving? On account of them thinking you'll nab company secrets etc? Or is your new role quite different....
Any which way, I hope the new role brings you to NZ!

87. by Paula McLain
Circling the Sun

There is much of Beryl Markham that reminds me of another female aviator, Amelia Earhart. They are both free spirits, independent, confident, love challenges, challenge the gender status quo and are unconventional.

This historical fiction of Beryl Markham's life starting from her unconventional childhood in Kenya, growing up among the Kipsigis tribe after her mother left her and her father. She went through governesses quickly, not liking having to spend her hours indoors on studies when she could be out with the horses and only went to school for a few years before she was suspended and sent home. As wild as she was, she had an inherent understanding of horses and became the first female horse trainer.

Intuitive and wise as she was with horses, Beryl was out of her depth in society, swinging from one disastrous relationship to another. And still nothing could destroy her fierce spirit and determination to be her own person.

When she discovered flying, she discovered a freedom she had thought lost to her after her childhood.

4 stars

>222 qebo: Thanks, Katherine. The Wright Brothers was indeed a good read. I'm so glad I managed to nab a copy.

Camels are delightful ... except when they're grumpy. And they have an incredible talent for accurately spitting at people they don't like.

>223 vancouverdeb: On your recommendations, Deb, I've just added myself to the hold list at the library for The Illuminations. I'm apparently 56th in line, but given that I've got 5 other library books out, that's not a bad thing.

Darryl's namesake restaurant is a cute little jazz joint, with great Southern food and talented jazz bands. I've never had a bad time there and I've been there a few times for dinner and for brunch. Can't ever go wrong with good fried chicken, mac & cheese, ribs where the meat just melts off the bone, collard greens, beans... yikes, I'm getting hungry again.

>224 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. I'm going to another big potluck party this weekend so there could be more food pictures coming along soon. ;-)

>225 LovingLit: Megan, I'm switching industries altogether so I won't have any problems leaving. We all signed 5 year non-competes in our contract, but since I'm not going to be working within the same industry anyway, that's not an issue for me. And yes, my new role actually will bring me to NZ in the very very near future. :-) I'll keep you posted.

>221 cameling: Wow, I never knew about Armstrong's taking some of their flyer to the Moon. That's awesome!

>221 cameling: I know right, Jim? I was surprised to read that bit too and it was at the end of the book and kinda made a really fitting end to the extraordinary lives of these 2 amazing and inspirational brothers.

Nice review of The Wright Brothers, Caroline!

Good reviews of The Wright Brothers and Circling the Sun, Caro. Was reading them a flight of fancy? Did you have your head in the clouds?

I particularly want to get to the McCullough at some point. I don't read as much of him as I'd like to.

Stopping by to get caught up, only to remember that I should not visit your thread on an empty stomach. :-)

Congratulations on the new job!

>230 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl.

>231 jnwelch: Joe - haha.. pure coincidence. I had them both on hold at the library and they happened to come in at the same time. I do like McCullough. He does narrative non-fiction extremely well, I think. My favorite of his is The Greater Journey. He covered that whole period of the 1880s when American artists, philosophers and writers invaded Paris in droves very thoroughly and made the whole scene come alive between his pages.

>232 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. In case you come back soon, I will warn you that there are likely to be more food pictures over the weekend because I'm going to a farewell party tomorrow night for a friend's family who are leaving MA.

Ditto what others have said - Great comments on both The Wright Brothers and Circling the Sun.

I also agree with Lori - I'll eat before I visit your thread.

>131 cameling: Great photos of the babies, Caro!

>204 cameling: If you can arrange to meet up with Joe, Mark, and others in Chicagoland, do it! They're an awesome group. You'll enjoy the food, drink, and book conversation.

Great review of The Wright Brothers which I want to read.

Um, what's in a Scorpion Bowl?

I was thinking about my buddy when I made a late lunch/early dinner not long ago ("Edd can do this!"). I baked a boneless, skinless chicken breast dipped in olive oil and lightly coated with salt and pepper at 425 F for 10 minutes on each side, and had it with a package of sliced mushrooms and some edamame beans from the freezer, along with a glass of carrot juice. Everything was ready in under 30 minutes. It's rather dull compared to your amazing meals, but it was tasty and easy enough.

Great photos, Caro. Wishing you Happy Sunday.

>235 EBT1002: Ellen, there's gin for sure in the Scorpion Bowl, but I don't know what other alcohol is added because the pineapple juice masked all but the gin for me. It was tasty and refreshing though. :-)

Next year, I think I will work out something in my travel schedule when I can have a longer (possibly weekend) layover in Chicago to meet with the Chicago peeps.

>236 kidzdoc: Darryl - he'll burn the kitchen and the house down! Actually, no, that's wrong.. the kitchen and house will be fine .... unless he figures out how to turn the oven on. You know that coffee drink he offered you last week? He was heating some up on a pot for himself yesterday (I don't know why he won't do it in a mug in a microwave. Faster and the machine beeps repeatedly until you take your stuff out) and forgot about it .... and I came in from the deck where I frying chicken wings in a deep fryer (I always do it outside so the kitchen doesn't have that greasy smell for a couple of days) to the smell of burnt coffee while the culprit was snoozing in his chair.

>237 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. I hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend too.

A friend and her little family are leaving MA and moving to Singapore. So what was more apt than having 20 friends gather to wish them farewell. It was another potluck, and this time a delightful fusion of east meets west. We had steaks and hotdogs on the BBQ, apple pie, blueberry pie and 2 insane peach cobblers. In addition, we also had some Singapore foods. My photos of the steaks and hotdogs after I downloaded them had to be deleted because the person manning the grill had unwittingly exposed himself by forgetting to do up his pants. *sigh* how he did not feel the heat in his nether regions and why he was going commando yesterday when he had grill duty I don't know. So the only pics of food are what I managed to take before the savages descended on the food.

Mee Rebus - egg noodles smothered with a thick spicy beef and crushed peanuts broth, garnished with slices of hardboiled eggs, sliced green chilies, cilantro and drizzled with calamansi (small limes that are orange inside) juice.


Min Chiang Kueh - fluffy pancakes folded over a sugary peanuts filling


Steamed tapioca cakes flavored and naturally colored by pandanus leaves

>238 cameling: Oh, my. Forget what I said about Edd being able to make that super easy dinner. He's worse than my culinarily challenged cousin Tina (the one whose trip from Detroit to Philadelphia via Boston(!) took nearly 12 hours, longer than it took me to travel from Amsterdam to Atlanta); she doesn't own a skillet, but at least she knows how to use a microwave. Her admittedly sexist cousins (my brother and I) and her brothers are appalled and astonished that a grown and well educated woman can't cook.

Teochew Ngo Hiang - Pork, shrimp, taro cubes and shredded carrots wrapped in beancurd skins, fried and then sliced


Eggs and firm tofu braised with chicken in a braising liquid of star of anise, dark soy and cinnamon bark.




Roast duck

>239 cameling: Ooh...are there leftovers? *checks Delta.com for morning flights from ATL to BOS*

Please tell me that your hubby wasn't manning the grill. Please also tell me that a trip to the ER wasn't necessary for the exhibitionist griller.

>241 cameling: Roast duck!!! *faints*

Curry puffs - flaky pastry wrapped around a mild potato curry and slice of hard boiled egg


Chicken wings marinated with tumeric, coriander powder and cumin


Mango cupcakes

>242 kidzdoc: Haha.. no, Edd wasn't anywhere near the grill. The exhibitionist was the host! I called them last night when I downloaded the photos and he said that someone had noticed and told him about it before the families with kids arrived. Whew!

>244 cameling: Yikes. I'm with you; I can't see how he didn't notice that while cooking on the grill.

Yummie, your photos make me hungry, Caro.

I wouldn't know where to start with such a plethora of goodies. Great story about the griller.

>245 kidzdoc: At least, Darryl, a potential crisis was averted just in time. He also confessed he didn't even realize he had forgotten to put his underwear on that morning.

>246 Ameise1: There was so much good food, Barbara, that one needed a strategy for an eating plan yesterday to ensure one got to taste everything.

>247 BLBera: When all the food was laid out it was quite daunting. Everyone had a sort of glazed avaricious look in their eyes. Haha.. And then they snapped and descended on the food like a hoard of starving hyenas.

88. by Ernest Cline
Armada

From the author of Ready Player One this novel is centered around a teenage boy, Zack Lightman, who, when he's not working at his part time job in a video games store, plays an online videogame Armada. He daydreams about his father, who died in a factory explosion when he was an infant and then one day in school, looking out the window he sees an alien ship.

Convinced he's dreaming, Zack finds himself enlisted as a Lieutenant for the Earth Defense Alliance, and his job now is to protect Earth from attack by aliens. One day a schoolboy, the next the potential savior of Earth, Zack is thrown into manning an actual fighting craft, shooting down alien fighter ships, and making decisions to disobey orders because he's certain his actions are justified.

I kept thinking that at some point, Zack will wake up to find it was really all just a dream, but kudos to the author for not writing something predictable.

It's a fun campy read, but nowhere near as good as RPO.

3 stars

>249 cameling: Hyena sounds like an appropriate response to that amazing spread. Wow.

The Mee Rebus, Min Chiang Kueh, Teochew Ngo Hiang, Roast Duck, and Curry Puffs would have been happily consumed by me. Sounds like a wonderful send off feast!

>250 cameling: - Well, like, darn! I know I shouldn't expect authors to have an unlimited supply of brilliant stories in their repertoire but... sheesh .... but at least it didn't take him seven years - or longer - to release his second book.

Happy Sunday, Caro! Good reviews of The Wright Brothers and Circling the Sun. Thumbs all around. I have both saved on audio. Looking forward to them.

Sorry to hear that about Armada. If you remember I saw Cline at an author event, a few weeks back and was excited about his new one. I have a copy, so I will have to give it a go.

Great stories as usual. What a hoot about the griller! and I can't wait until the big reveal about the new job and new industry.

>251 charl08: Haha.. after the event, there were some people texting in the group chat that they didn't get to try something or other because they had been chatting and eating other stuff and the item they wanted to try later was all gone. Even the poor hostess was so busy making sure everyone was ok, that she didn't get a piece of the tapioca cake and took great umbrage at her husband because he confessed that he had 3. Tough crowd this.

>252 lkernagh: Lori, it was a lovely party and the kids all had great fun running around the large yard. Someone managed to bring old games we used to play in our childhood and the adults ended up being the loudest squealers and hooters playing card games and hopscotch because we'd all forgotten some of the rules and challenged the referee when he tried to impose what seemed to be dubious rules he may or may not have made up on the spot. Fortunately, our hostess's neighbors were away for the weekend. Still the peace and calm of sleepy Sagamore Beach were shattered the day we descended for the party.

I too don't expect authors to have a limitless supply of great ideas, and while this was not a bad one, it just didn't do much for me. It read more like a YA novel, which isn't a bad thing, but it's not being promoted as a YA novel so I had the wrong set of expectations for the book.

>253 msf59: Mark, Circling the Sun bears a little resemblance to Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen because they cover some of the same characters and events of that time, so if you've read that, you'll experience a few deja vu moments.

I didn't totally dislike Armada, it was just unfortunate that I had already read RPO, which I thought was a stellar book so for it, it fell a little short in comparison. I'll be interested to see what you think of it when you read it.

>254 ffortsa: Judy - oops, didn't I say where I was going? I thought I did. I'm going to move into the manufacturing industry. It's a US company who make data loggers for environmental data capture. Their products are used by weather stations, laboratories, conservation and environmental research institutes. I'll be expanding their growth into and managing their Asia Pacific market. It's a new industry for me because while there's a software component to their products, there's also some hardware encasing the software that they manufacture on premise in MA. So there's much for me to learn about how data loggers are used, how the data is captured and then to build a channel network in Asia Pacific to grow a partner and customer base out there.

89. by Muriel Mharie MacLeod
What the River Washed Away

Set in Louisiana in the 1900s, Arletta lives on the other side of the tracks with her Mambo. When her grandfather dies, 8 year old Arletta is left to fend for herself as her mother flits from one beau to another, or is called to help her people with her voodoo skills. Even at that age, Arletta knows that some footsteps heard crossing the tracks mean she has to run and hide, but sometimes she doesn't hear them until it's too late.

When the horrors of what she is forced to endure gets to be too much for her, she runs down to the creek and seeks solace from a spirit who gives her strength. One day she draws upon this strength to do what she must to stop the torture. While her life takes a turn for the positive, she turns her back on her voodoo heritage and walks down a different path for herself.

But when she hears of another child lying in hospital, perhaps at the hands of the same men who had violated her, the spirit who has always guided her, helps her face her fears and break her silence.

The characters are extremely well developed in this multifaceted and gritty story.

5 stars

Sounds like Armada is an entertaining outing, but everyone was hoping for more from the author of Ready Player One. I'll probably read it at some point (I loved RPO), but won't hurry.

What the River Washed Away sounds like a tough read, but an awfully good one. Five star reads don't come along every day.

I hadn't read any of the reviews of Armada before I read it because I was afraid of spoilers. Now I wish I had because it may have tempered my expectations a little. *sigh*

The MacLeod was indeed a tough read, but a really good one. I think she told a really good story without gratuitous graphic details but without pulling punches either in boldly exposing what went on in that part of the US during those times. It's definitely in my Top 10 of 2015

I have heard a few grumblings about Armada on a couple of podcasts, so I had already started lowering the bar, but boy, when Cline was gushing about it, it was infectious.

>256 cameling: this one sounds great, if harrowing in sections? One for the tbr regardless.

Caro - What the River Washed Away sounds great. Off to check to see if my library has a copy.

I've added What the River Washed Away to my wish list. Thanks, Caroline!

>259 msf59: Mark, I think if I hadn't read RPO and was a teenage boy, I would have been ecstatic over Armada. It has everything a boy would enjoy in a story if he's able to visualize himself as Zack the hero. That's why I think he should have released this as a YA.

>260 LovingLit: Megan, the first quarter of the book does deal with the terrible abuse but the author doesn't push the events in the reader's face. So you know what's happening, but it's not delivered in graphic detail. Does this make it easier on the reader? I would say it depends on how a person reads a book and how they visualize scenes. It's not the only difficult subject in the book but the author deals with them in a head on but respectful way.

>261 BLBera: Beth, I hope you're successful. I got my copy from my library.

>262 kidzdoc: Wow, I managed to hit you with a book bullet, Darryl? That rarely happens. ;-)